Huron Valley State Bank Financial Literacy Program Commences
2019-2020 Bank at School Partnership with Five Local Elementary Schools
Huron Valley State Bank (HVSB) and five local elementary schools, Spring Mills, Johnson, Heritage, Country Oaks and Kurtz opened for the first banking day in November for the Bank-At-School program. This is a student run bank located inside each of the schools that teaches hands-on financial literacy, money management, and provides for a real life banking experience. Fifth grade students applied and interviewed for positions earlier in the school year and were trained for actual banking jobs to accept money from their fellow classmates to deposit into the bank. The Bank at School program runs once a month in each of the elementary schools from November to May, with a celebration at the end of the school year.
The Bank at School program started in 2011 at Spring Mills Elementary in Highland which was the first school to partner with Huron Valley State Bank. In the fall of 2014, Huron Valley State Bank and Johnson Elementary School in Milford started a second Bank-At-School partnership. Two years later, the bank formed its third partnership with Heritage Elementary in Highland in October of 2016. In 2017, the partnership with Country Oaks Elementary was formed. Lastly in the winter of 2019 the fifth partnership was formed with Kurtz Elementary. All these schools are overseen by one of the branch managers and have two bank representatives on site at the schools for banking day.
“Spring Mills was our very first partnership and we have modeled our other schools off of this program,” said Shelley Dickerson, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of Highland. “We have built a sustainable program and take great joy in providing financial literacy”.
“Our partnerships with the schools are very rewarding for our bank. We really enjoy the hands on component, as well as giving the bankers the real life experience of having a job,” said Mara Jones, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of Milford.
In addition to working with the Elementary Schools, Huron Valley State Bank has been a guest speaker in the fall and spring at Milford High School in Heather Lutz’s Personal Finance Class for several years presenting on topics including the basics of money, lending, budgeting, and scams. Most recently, Shelley Dickerson, Susan Vanderwill, Melissa Herron and Sheri Miles presented to 6th graders at White Lake Middle School during their RIOT time (also known as seminar or homeroom) for four days in November on topics relating to money, how a bank works, savings, and writing a check.
“At Huron Valley State Bank we take great pride in giving back to the community. The partnerships with the elementary schools, presenting to Mrs. Lutz’s classes at Milford High School and White Lake Middle School is a big part of that strategy. We believe in educating our youth to help provide them with real-life financial management skills to provide them with the opportunity to be armed with financial information when they are adults,” said Jack Shubitowski, President and CEO.
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